Form 1 Trip to Windsor Castle

As part of their ‘Castles’ topic this Spring Term, Form 1 had the privilege of visiting Windsor Castle. Before the trip, the children learnt all about the castle’s defence system and were extremely excited when they were able to see the castle itself and put their learning into action. The children were quick to spot the battlements at the very top of the castle and loved pretending to be soldiers shooting arrows from the various arrow slits situated around the castle walls. Daniel from Form 1 said that “Seeing the moat was surprising because there was no water in it”. Once inside the castle, the children were amazed when they saw Queen Mary’s beautiful doll’s house, and the King’s bedroom and imagined what it would feel like to sit on the spectacular throne that was situated in one of the many grand rooms. One main highlight of the day was having the opportunity to visit St George’s Chapel to see Queen Elizabeth’s final resting place. Here the children showed such respect for our late queen and will treasure this memory forever. Another highlight of the day was the educational workshop where the children and staff were able to envision being in a castle and learnt how William the Conqueror first built Windsor Castle. Yuvraj in 1S said that taking part in the educational workshop was his favourite part of the day because he enjoyed being chosen to pretend that he was invading the castle.

Form 2 Visit the Milestones Museum

Form 2 visited the Milestones Museum in Basingstoke this term. It was a much anticipated trip to consolidate all we have learnt about World War II in our history lessons and it did not disappoint. Milestones tells the story of how people used to live from Victorian times through to the 1940s - the things they used, the types of shops they would have visited and the work they did. The maze of streets is packed with shops, factories and houses, most based on original buildings from in and around the Basingstoke area. There are also beautifully restored vehicles, from a Victorian tram, to classic motorbikes, a Romany caravan, a 19th century steam-powered fire engine and the firm favourite, an old double decker bus.

We had two fantastic talks that were fun and interactive with lots of dressing up. We first met an ARP warden who described to us what life would have been like during an air raid. We were shown an Anderson shelter, learnt about the importance of the blackouts and even had the opportunity to try on a gas mask. It was agreed that we wouldn’t have liked to have worn these for long! Secondly, we met a shop keeper who brought to life the topic of rationing – why certain foods were rationed and how people would go about redeeming their rationed food with their ration books. The children were given the opportunity to sort foods into groups of those that were rationed and those which were not. We also learnt about first aid during World War II and how to tie a sling, having great fun practising on each other.

Form 3 Koalas Sleepover

Form 3 had an amazing experience at their sleepover! As always, Rich Adventure pulled out all the stops to make the children’s experience of sleeping over at school a wonderful one. The experience began with geocaching on The Long Walk. The children worked as a team to solve the clues and took part in a variety of other team building activities. They then ventured back to school where they put up their own tents to sleep in with their friends. After a delicious dinner, the children got ready for bed and after a whole evening of laughter and smiles, slept in their tents. The following morning, the children dismantled their tents collaboratively and participated in learning first aid. This was a truly unforgettable experience!

Form 3 Explore Ancient Greece

This term, Form 3 were delighted to visit the Eton College Museum of Antiquities for an incredibly interesting Ancient Greek workshop! The children thoroughly enjoyed exploring the Ancient Greek art, myths and language. It was incredibly interesting learning the stories, history and purpose behind pottery and other fascinating historical artefacts. Ancient Greek Gods were a firm favourite with all the children, particularly Zeus, the King of the Gods! A particular highlight of the session was when the children had the freedom to explore the museum, looking into the beautifully exhibited displays and experiencing the curiosity and wonder when opening the artefact draws. Learning was rich throughout the whole experience, and this was shown with the children’s inquisitive questions about the Ancient Greeks.

Form 4 River Thames Workshop

What is the best way to practise our geographical skills? With a fieldwork trip of course! Form 4 relished the opportunity to practise their map reading skills on a long springtime walk from Windsor to Datchet. Our trip began with a visit to Windsor Farm Shop to see the local produce that they sell, and even engaged in some social geography by asking some members of the public questions to learn more about their experiences of buying locally. The children then worked as a team to follow their route along the river and carried out a successful traffic survey. The children enjoyed investigating places in their local area and produced some beautiful sketches of key features of our surroundings such as the local church and the River Thames itself. We walked all the way to Windsor and Eton Riverside railway station where we were collected by minibus and returned to school, full of energy and smiles after ample amounts of fresh air! This was a wonderful walk indeed!

Form 5 and Form 6 Trip to Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre

With both Forms 5 and 6 completing a unit of learning this term on Macbeth and The Tempest respectively, we were extremely excited to transport them back in time to Shakespeare’s stage play world at the Globe Theatre in London. There were so many questions before we left: why was it only men who were allowed to perform? Did people really stand for hours to watch a play? Can we act the play out? Will they let us go on stage?

After consuming a hearty packed lunch on the sunny South Bank, we were met by our representative and began our tour of the fascinating theatre. We were even lucky enough to catch the Globe actors warming up and rehearsing on stage. Next, it was the Upton children’s turn to tread the boards and think more deeply about a particular scene. They really got into character and were absorbed in their tasks. Form 6 were even invited to stay and watch a production of The Tempest which made the day extra special.

F3 Trip to Windsor Library

Where do you go on a freezing cold, wet and rainy Tuesday morning…? You go to the library of course! Form 3 spent a very happy morning at Windsor Library, continuing the excitement of World Book Week. Children were introduced to how different parts of the library are organised and used this knowledge to go on a scavenger hunt around the library. One group managed something that no one in the history of Windsor Library had ever done and found all eight items on the list; some librarians in the making! The children also had great fun creating their own bookmarks to keep their noses in as many books as possible!